By ERIC AVEDISSIAN/Sentinel staff
Jody Levchuk, with his wife and daughters, files to run for the Ocean City Council Third Ward seat with the Ocean City clerk this week.
OCEAN CITY – Jody Levchuk, whose Boardwalk businesses sell everything from T-shirts to ice cream and candy, threw his hat in the political ring as a Third Ward council candidate in the May 12 municipal elections.
Four four-year ward council seats will be filled this year, including one for the Third Ward, which extends from the south side of 12th Street to the north side of 26th Street.
Levchuk, 43, is running against incumbent Third Ward Councilman Tony Wilson, who also filed his papers March 6 to run for re-election.
Wilson, 50, the owner of Wilson Plumbing, Heating and Air Conditioning, has served on city council for nine years. He was first elected in 2011 in a special election to fill the unexpired term of former Councilwoman Susan Sheppard, and was re-elected in 2012 and 2016.
“I’m running more on my own merits and what I’m looking to accomplish, not so much what anybody else is running on” Levchuk said.
Levchuk was raised in Ocean City and has deep roots in this seashore resort. His family, long-time local business owners, founded JiLLy’s Arcade on the Boardwalk.
“My parents started JiLLy’s Arcade when my mom was pregnant with me in 1976. I grew up working for them pretty much since I could count quarters,” Levchuk said. “I started my own business in 2001.”
Levchuk is the director of operations at JiLLy’s Stores, which includes JiLLy’s T-Shirt Factory, JiLLy’s Ice Cream Factory, and JiLLy’s French Fry Factory.
“I think that with my business acumen and all of the accomplishments that I’ve made on the Boardwalk and through my businesses and other things I’ve done around town I think that this is a perfect fit and I’ve got a lot of great support and I’m excited to do this,” Levchuk said.
He and his wife have two daughters who attend Ocean City Primary School.
“I’ve just moved into my new house a year ago and I’ve gotten to know a lot of my new neighbors and I’ve become very excited to represent them and run for the Third Ward council seat,” Levchuk said.
This is Levchuk’s first foray running for public office.
“I felt that this is the best time,” Levchuk said. “As the next two months go on before the election, we’re going to do a whole lot of things that will really illustrate why exactly I’m running and what my plans are and what my agenda is. For now the biggest reason I’m running is I’m head over heels in love with this town and I feel that I have the skills to be able to handle all of the situations that city council comes across.”
He cited his business experience and experience with the local population and voters. He called his candidacy “perfect timing.”
“I’m very much looking forward to the campaign, looking forward to the race and of course looking forward to hopefully taking office,” Levchuk said.
Candidates who filed for the council elections include: Michael DeVlieger (incumbent) for First Ward; Tomaso Rotondi for Second Ward (Gabe Staino dropped out); Levchuk and Wilson (incumbent) for the Third Ward; and Robert Barr (incumbent) for the Fourth Ward.